Saké Misen Ginjyö – 72 cl

A flavorsome dry Ginjo sake, made using the top-quality brewer’s rice Hattan Nishiki which is polished down to one third of its original weight and water from Hiroshima Prefecture.

Tasting Notes: Fresh and floral on the nose with hints of white flowers and apricot.

On the palate it is mellow and fruity with hints of apple and pear, the finish is light with hints of cereals, a touch of acidity and bitterness.

Food Pairing: Perfect for seafood and can be served either hot or cold.

Produced from pure rice.

Remaining rice proportion after polishing: 55%

Variety of rice: Hattan Nishiki A rather long low-temperature fermentation process using a very specific kind of yeast (Hiroshima Ginjo)

Service temperature: chilled - 4°C

Sashimis, fish roe – omelet and other egg dishes – Fruit sorbets

NOSE: Gentle / Apple, pear

TASTE: Heady and fresh – Cereal;

Finish: Delicate and refreshing – Cereal, grassy notes

Asahi Beer Super Dry Beer - Japanese beer with delicate taste and delicately spicy and dry aroma.

Golden yellow with white foam, this beer of Japanese origin has a slightly malty and delicately spicy and dry scent.

The initial taste is slightly malty with a hint of caramel and a soft note of corn and then delicately refreshing, slightly acidic, and then ending in a dry, delicately spiced finish.

• Content-type of beer: lager
• Origin: Japan
• Content-type of beer: bottom fermentation
• Ingredients: water, barley malt, corn, hops, rice
• Content-types of malt: barley malt, corn, rice

Food pairing:  Due to the mild and sober taste of the beer it is the ideal addition to many dishes, as its taste is light and not difficult to combine. Ideal with Japanese foods and delicately spiced Asian dishes such as miso soup, noodle and rice salad, sushi and onigiri.

Service temperature:  Japanese Asahi beer is tasted at 5 - 7 ° C from a tall, thin beer glass.

Omachi-Mai / Ginjo sake Ginjo is an intermediate grade of quality sake, the rice wine which has become a strong symbol of Japanese culture. Gin means "careful selection" and jo means "ferment", meaning that this particular style of sake is a more carefully selected brew.

Nose: Fresh and sweet - Fruity notes

Palate: Rich and fresh - Cereals, ripe apple, plum

Finish: Refined - Ripe fruits

To serve between 10 and 15 ° C

Goes well with a winter fruit salad

Eigashima Distillery (known as White Oak Distillery in Japan), located in Akashi near Kobe, Japan, is both the country’s oldest and smallest whisky distillery. Founded in 1888, the tiny distillery runs on a seven person operation! Akashi is a coastal town residing on the edge of Osaka Bay. Due to Akashi’s unique climate with extremely hot summers and cool winters, as much as 7%-8% of Eigashima’s maturing whisky may be lost to evaporation each year (opposed to the 2% commonly seen in Scotland). While this lowers still the overall production yield, it also acts as a catalyst for the maturation process, as the temperature swings encourage interaction between the whisky and the wood. As a result, Akashi White Oak Japanese Whisky has a malty, citrusy aroma with scents of black cherry, toffee and oak. This whisky is made with a variety of wheat, barley and rye with hints of subtle peat. Notes of vanilla and pine nuts dominate the palate, and lead to a long, malty finish. Excellent introduction to the Japanese whisky category, those looking for a segway into Scotch, or an every day drinking dram.

Tasting Note:

Nose: Buttered hot cross buns, chocolate peanuts, lemongrass and a light hint of spicy rye grain.

Palate: Cherry bakewells and walnut loaf. Sweet cereals with a dusting of nutmeg and black pepper.

Finish: Medium length. Quite sweet with dried apricot and a touch of oatcake.

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.

Nikka from the Barrel is big-boned and bursting with character. Not averse to a drop of water, either. A real star, winning top prize in its category at the World Whisky Awards in 2007 and 2010. Japanese whisky producer Nikka was founded in 1934 and has become Japan's second largest distiller, producing a large range of single malts and blended whiskies between its two distilleries - Yoichi and Miyagikyo.

NOSE: Spicy and peppery, but there’s a richness behind it, with spicy oak and soft orange fruitiness, and soft vanilla notes from the bourbon cask.

PALATE: Grainy sweetness and candied orange peel, quite rich, accompanied by rich cinnamon and clove.

FINISH: Great balance, this really needs a little water to allow the flavours to unfurl.

COMMENT: Characterful stuff, this whisky has plenty of personality, and shows a delightful balance between the spicy pepperiness and rich citrus fruit.

Find this and more exceptional selections at Kaasak.